A federal appeals court has halted same-sex marriages taking place in Indiana (Photo by Bigstock).

An appeals court on Friday halted further same-sex weddings from taking place in Indiana following a lower court decision striking down the state’s ban on gay nuptials.

Without explanation in a two-page order, a three-judge panel on the U.S. Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals placed a stay pending appeal on the ruling that U.S. District Judge Richard Young issued on Wednesday. His ruling included no stay, so same-sex couples had been marrying in that state for some time.

Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller has requested on emergency stay on same-sex marriages both at the district court level and the appellate court following the lower court ruling.

The three-judge panel who instituted the stay consists of Judge Richard Posner, a Reagan appointee; Judge Ann Claire Williams, a Clinton appointee; and Judge David Hamilton, an Obama appointee.

Chris Johnson is Chief Political & White House Reporter for the Washington Blade. Johnson attends the daily White House press briefings and is a member of the White House Correspondents' Association.
Follow Chris